Muslims to seek community reforms

Page Tools

AUSTRALIAN Muslims will call today for reforms across their
community, including accreditation for imams and a mentoring system
to introduce young Muslims to the wider community and remove their
sense of being marginalised.

A six-point plan by the Forum on Australia's Islamic Relations,
titled "Muslims must Modernise", will seek changes in mosques,
schools and the broad Islamic community.

"Australian Muslims are one of the most integrated communities
in the West but some children at Islamic schools never get out of
their own suburbs between years seven and 12," Kuranda Seyit, the
forum's executive director, said yesterday.

"They don't meet people of other cultures."

He said this new generation of disenfranchised youth, with chips
on their shoulders, was ripe for indoctrination by radical Islamic
leaders.

"We don't have ghettos like Muslims in England but some
Australian Muslims do stick to their enclaves," he said.

"Some sheikhs tell them not to talk to non-Muslims. They have no
sense of belonging to the Australian community."

The six-point plan comes on the eve of the Prime Minister's
summit on Tuesday with Islamic leaders, arranged after the London
bombings.

Mr Seyit said the summit would achieve nothing because it
excluded key members of the Islamic community.

Another meeting, organised by the Islamic group Affinity, will
be held on September 11. It will include Muslims not attending on
Tuesday  women, young people, Lebanese, Turks, Pakistanis,
Bosnians and academics.

"We don't believe there's a threat to the Australian community
but we recognise there are crackpots who talk about the West being
evil and those who hold radical views and sympathise with Osama bin
Laden," Mr Seyit said.

The six points are:

■ A formal licensing system for imams.

■ A support program for imams, to include English language
teaching if necessary and lessons in Australian political and
social systems.

■ Mentors for post-school youths to develop
leadership.

■ A college to train home-grown imams  the Islamic
Research Centre in Brisbane is working towards this under the
auspices of Griffith University.

■ Focus groups to examine community needs.

■ An effective media strategy to counter negative
publicity.

The forum has also written to the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, and
Opposition leader, John Brogden, seeking meetings.